Packers star Aaron Rodgers breaks collarbone
Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke right collarbone during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings after a hit by linebacker Anthony Barr.
In the first quarter of the game, Barr was chasing Rodgers as the quarterback was looking for a receiver. As Rodgers threw the ball, Barr hit him in the midsection driving him to the ground. Rodgers hit the ground on his throwing shoulder.
The team said Rodgers could miss the remainder of the season.
Backup quarterback Brett Hundley took over for Rodgers in the 23-10 loss. Green Bay is expected to promote Joe Callahan from the practice squad to serve as Hundley's backup.
In 2013, Rodgers broke his left collarbone and missed seven starts. He is expected to miss the rest of this season because he broke the collarbone in his throwing arm.
In six games this season, Rodgers threw for 1,385 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Green Bay fell to 4-2 on the season.
Source-ABC
Reese Witherspoon says director assaulted her at the age of 16
Speaking at an ELLE Women in Hollywood event in Beverly Hills, the Oscar-winning actress said the events of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal over the past few days have reminded her about her own experiences.
"[Those experiences] have come back to me very vividly and I find it really hard to sleep, hard to think, hard to communicate a lot of the feelings that I’ve been having," Witherspoon says in a video posted by USA Today.
Witherspoon, now 41, says a director "assaulted me when I was 16 years old." She also said the incident as a teen wasn't an "isolated" one.
She also expressed her "guilt" for not speaking up earlier or "taking action," mixed with the "anger at the agents and the producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment."
Dozens of women who have spoken out and continue to speak out against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who's been accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women. A spokesperson for the movie executive has said, "Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein."
A social media campaign also began this week, with women and men posting the hashtag #metoo to highlight and empower victims of sexual assault. As of Tuesday morning, it had been retweeted more than a million times.
Actress Alyssa Milano was one of the first to share the call for a "Me too" hashtag, writing, "If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet."
Source-ABC
McCain slams "half-baked, spurious nationalism" sweeping US in passionate speech
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., slammed "half-baked, spurious nationalism" in an impassioned speech while accepting the Liberty Medal in Philadelphia on Monday evening.
McCain, who was presented with the medal by former Vice President Joe Biden, began by saying he was humbled by the award before eventually lashing out at the nationalism that has swept the U.S. and warning against leaving the nation's place of prominence in the international community.
"To fear the world we have organized and led for three-quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain the last best hope of earth for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that Americans consigned to the ash heap of history," McCain said, to applause.
"We live in a land made of ideals, not blood and soil," he continued. "... We have done great good in the world. That leadership has had its costs, but we have become incomparably powerful and wealthy as we did."
He added: "We have a moral obligation to continue in our just cause, and we would bring more than shame on ourselves if we don't. We will not thrive in a world where our leadership and ideals are absent. We wouldn't deserve to."
In introducing McCain, Biden praised his "courage and loyalty."
"I can think of no better description for the man we’re honoring tonight," Biden said.
McCain revealed in July that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He has clashed with President Donald Trump over Republicans' repeated attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare, including most recently when he said he could not "in good conscience" vote for the Graham-Cassidy bill. In response, Trump called McCain's opposition to the bill "terrible, honestly terrible."
Source- ABC
Hunger in the Caribbean & Latin America will not be eradicated by 2030
Two international agencies says it is becoming “increasingly unlikely” that hunger will be eradicated in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2030.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the world's oldest international public health agency working to improve the health and well-being of people in the Americas and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said that hunger has increased in six countries and now affects 2.4 million people in the region.
They said that the total number of individuals that suffer from hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean has increased, reversing decades of progress, while overweight affects all age groups in men and women, and constitutes a major health problem in all countries in the region of the Americas.
PAHO and FAO have published a new study titled “Panorama of Food Security and Nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean 2017” which also highlights that after many years of gradual progress, in 2016, approximately 42.5 million persons did not have enough food for their daily caloric needs.
This is an increase of 2.4 million people, six per cent more of the undernourished population than the year before.
FAO Regional Representative, Julio Berdegué, said if this trend does not change “it will be very difficult for the region to reach Sustainable Development Goal 2 on eradicating hunger and malnutrition by 2030”.
While hunger levels remain low in Latin America and the Caribbean in comparison to the rest of the world, there are signs that the situation is getting worse, especially in South America, where hunger grew from five per cent in 2015 to 5.6 per cent in 2016, the PAHO/FAO added.
“We are heading along a bad path. The region has taken a significant step backwards in a fight that it was winning. We cannot tolerate the current levels of hunger and obesity, as they will paralyse the entire Latin American and Caribbean generation”, warned Berdegué.
The international agencies noted that only a few decades ago, regional governments joined forces to fight against acute malnutrition, chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency, and now they must also fight against overweight and obesity.
“While malnutrition persists in the region, especially amongst vulnerable populations, it is now accompanied by overweight and obesity, affecting women more than anyone and also children”, said PAHO Director, Dr Carissa F Etienne.
“The region faces a double burden of malnutrition, to fight against it, we must ensure access to a balanced diet and tackle the primary social factors that cause malnutrition, such as, the lack of access to healthy foods that are low in sugar, salt and fat, to water and sanitation, to education and health services and to social protection programmes, amongst others”, the Dominica-born Dr Etienne added.
To address this situation, FAO and PAHO call on countries to transform their food systems in order to stop the advancement of hunger and malnutrition, paying special attention to the condition of the most vulnerable people, homes and territories.
The publication highlights that only through a great regional effort can the current trend be reversed, to return on the path that made Latin America and the Caribbean a global example of the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
Despite the fact that hunger increased in six countries and fell in 21, the absolute number of people suffering from hunger has increased.
The worse situation in terms of prevalence of hunger is in Haiti, where 47% of the population, that is approximately five million people, suffer from hunger. This number represents almost two-thirds of all undernourishment across countries of the Caribbean.
Although hunger at the regional level has increased, 21 countries of the region have lowered their level of undernourishment, including the Caribbean and Mesoamerican as a whole, between 2013/2015 and 2014/2016.
In Brazil, Cuba and Uruguay, the prevalence of undernourishment is less than 2.5 per cent, while in Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago it is below five per cent.
Regarding overweight and obesity the two organisations note that they affect all age groups in men and women, and is a public health problem in all countries of the Americas.
The publication notes that in South America, 7.4 per cent (2.5 million) of the children under five years of age suffer from overweight and obesity, equivalent to six per cent of the children in Central America and 6.9 per cent of the children in the Caribbean.
“Furthermore, a third of the adolescents, and two thirds of the adults suffer from overweight and obesity, women being the most affected,” the publication noted, adding that while acute malnutrition has been practically eliminated from children under five years old in the region, there are already 11 per cent suffering from chronic malnutrition and seven per cent suffering from overweight.
“Nowadays, it is easy to find homes with one malnourished child and an overweight mother, or a chronically malnourished and overweight child or one with a vitamin and mineral deficiency”, Dr Etienne said.
She highlighted that “the consumption of over processed products is directly related to the increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity, as well as non-communicable diseases. It is in this area that we must intensify our efforts at the country level to help people to have access to healthy food”.
Reversing Brexit would boost economy, says OECD
Reversing the Brexit process would boost the UK economy, the international economic body, the OECD has said.
A new referendum or a change of government leading to the UK staying within the EU would have a "significant" positive impact on growth, the OECD said.
It also warned "no deal" would see investment seize up, the pound hit new lows and the UK's credit rating cut.
It said the outcome of the Brexit negotiations was hard to predict.
The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, said the UK would consider the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s report and act where it could.
At a press conference following the release of the report, Mr Hammond reiterated that companies in the UK and the European Union would benefit from the certainty of a limited transition period after Brexit.
He said: "[By] delivering a time-limited transition period, avoiding a disruptive cliff-edge exit from the EU, we can provide greater certainty for businesses up and down the UK, and across the European Union."
The OECD's secretary general, Angel Gurria, said that any future relationship with the European Union should be close: "It will be crucial the EU and the UK maintain the closest economic relationship possible."
The organisation's report highlights other challenges for the UK, including productivity and the growth of zero-hours contracts.
It says rules should be tightened to restrict self employment to "truly independent entrepreneurs".
It also says the current account deficit could be harder to finance, as a fall in the UK's credit rating could lead to higher interest rates to attract lenders from other countries.
The group also commented that UK productivity growth had come to a "standstill", adding that the picture was weakest outside Greater London and the south east of England. It said that pattern "may lead to, or be the result of, important differences among people in terms of income and wealth, jobs and earnings, and education and skills".
It said these "may have been one of the causes of Brexit, as less-educated workers in remote regions might have perceived to benefit less from the European project".
Among its recommendations for boosting productivity are increasing policies that give more power to the regions.
A Treasury spokesperson responded to the OECD's recommendations on productivity.
"Increasing productivity is a key priority for this government, so that we can build on our record employment levels and improve people's quality of life," the spokesperson said.
"Today, the OECD has recognised the importance of our £23bn National Productivity Investment Fund which will improve our country's infrastructure, increase research and development and build more houses."
The OECD suggests the growing use of what it calls "non standard" forms of employment, including self-employment and zero-hours contracts, can be "detrimental" to the acquisition of skills and the job quality of low-skilled workers.
Source-BBC
Flow Turks and Caicos restores Services throughout the Turks and Caicos after two Hurricanes
Delleriece Hall, Country Manager of Cable & Wireless Communications, operators of the brand Flow, today confirmed that the majority of Flow’s mobile and fixed network has been restored to customers throughout the Islands, following the significant devastation of Hurricane Irma.
“Connectivity to family, friends and loved ones is essential, especially during times of crisis, and as providers of core communication services in the region, we knew we had a tremendous responsibility to restore services as quickly as possible” said Delleriece Hall, country manager of C&W. “I am happy to report that Flow was the FIRST to restore mobile services in North and Middle Caicos, South Caicos, and Grand Turk. While there are restoration delays in some areas, due largely to the unavailability of electricity, our teams continue to work around the clock to restore services as quickly as possible,” the Country Manager said.
Speaking on C&W/Flow broader hurricane recovery efforts in the TCI, Hall outlined the Company’s support during the hurricane. For customers, Flow waived bill payments for fixed services as well as broadband and TV Rentals for September. The Company also set up free Wi-Fi hotspot and established a charging station at the central office in Providenciales. Flow provided critical office space to 911 services at the Head Office and partnered with the Red Cross in a “Restoring Family Links” exercise while supporting the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) by providing cell phones with SIM cards, data and voice service for first responders, and shelter managers. “We remain committed to the people of the region and are focused on our mission of connecting communities and transforming lives. We are equally proud of our network performance, which in several markets, including the Turks and Caicos Islands, was the only operational mobile network immediately after the hurricanes,” said Hall.
Flow further advises that customers should refrain from cutting low lying cables. Customers are asked to contact our office on 946-4499 to report any low lying cables, and 611 to report faults for broadband and TV in areas where commercial power has been restored.
The Department of Immigration Confirms Arrival of Illegal Migrants in West Caicos
The Department of Immigration in the Ministry of Border Control and Employment, following reports of a possible landing of illegal migrants, can confirm that more than 150 men, women and children of Haitian nationality, were found in and around the waters and island of West Caicos.
The Task Force in the Department of Immigration, along with Police Officials, responded to reports received mid-morning, and while details remain sketchy, as a result some 81 persons have been apprehended and ferried to Providenciales for processing and what is estimated to be possibly some further 80+ persons are still on West Caicos awaiting transportation to the processing unit in Providenciales.
The Department of Immigration in the Ministry of Border Control and Employment again reminds the public that harboring illegal migrants is a crime and such persons can now face a fine of $20,000 on summary conviction or to a term of imprisonment of four years, or to both. In addition, persons acquiring status other than by birth that are convicted of such an offense, face the possibility of having their status in the Islands revoked, thereby making them liable to deportation.
The migrants of this latest incident will be processed for repatriation to their native home, the Republic of Haiti.
Trump open to a bilateral Canada-US trade deal
President Trump says if talks to reform Nafta fail, he could envisage a US-Canada trade pact, excluding Mexico.
The US president said if there was no deal on the North American Free Trade Agreement, it would be terminated.
He was speaking at the White House with visiting Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.
Replying to a question, Mr Trump said he said he would consider a trade pact with Canada minus Mexico, adding that both the US and Canada wanted to protect their workers.
The current round of talks on renegotiating the trade bloc is reported to be stalling, with Mexico opposing a US move to increase the percentage of US-made components in car manufacturing.
Mr Trump's stance has however been criticised by US businesses,
And Mexican foreign minister Luis Videgaray, speaking ahead of the latest round of talks, said terminating Nafta could harm US-Mexico relations and damage co-operation on issues like fighting drug-trafficking.
Mr Trudeau said he believed the Nafta talks could still end in a "win, win, win".
But he said that Canada had to "be ready for anything" if the attempts to modernise the 23-year-old deal faltered.
Overall trade between the three Nafta partners reached $1.1 trillion (£832bn) in 2016.
American and Mexican officials say they want a renegotiated deal by December.
This week the influential US Chamber of Commerce warned it was time to "ring alarm bells" over the Nafta talks.
The business lobby group said there were "several poison pill proposals" put on the table by the US that could tank the renegotiations.
Those include US demands to adjust the rules of origin, which would increase the percentage of the content of car parts and other materials that would come from Nafta countries in order for a good to qualify as duty free - a specific concern for the North American auto industry.
Canada and the UK are sparring with the US over Canadian aerospace giant Bombardier.
The Trump administration has imposed hefty duties on Bombardier's C-Series jetliner.
American aerospace firm Boeing claims Bombardier received unfair government subsidies to produce its showcase passenger jet.
Bombardier is a significant employer in Northern Ireland and Canada.
Mr Trudeau said he "highlighted to the president how much we disagree vehemently" on the decision to impose anti-dumping duties.
Source-BBC
Thousands flee as wildfires ravage California; at least 15 killed
Massive wildfires sweeping through parts of California have killed at least 15 people and damaged more than 1,500 residences and other buildings, according to authorities.
Firefighters were battling 17 fires across multiple counties in the state as of late Monday, authorities said. Intensified by strong winds, the fires charred about 115,000 acres of land, destroyed at least 1,500 buildings and forced nearly 20,000 residents to evacuate.
St. Joseph Health said about 170 patients have been treated, many for burns and smoke inhalation, at three of its hospitals, including two in Sonoma County, where at least seven people died of fire-related injuries. Authorities have 183 unresolved missing person reports, according to one Sonoma County official.
Officials with the California Highway Patrol described one of the dead as an elderly woman who was blind and hard of hearing, according to ABC's San Francisco station, KGO. The woman was found dead in the driveway of her home in Santa Rosa, according to the officials, who suspected that she was trying to escape the flames when she died.
Details on the other victims have not been released yet.
Two of the largest fires, dubbed the Tubbs and Atlas fires by authorities, burned a combined 52,000 acres of land in Sonoma and Napa counties.
In Anaheim, 1,000 firefighters were mobilized to fight a blaze that burned an estimated 6,000 acres and destroyed at least 24 homes and businesses. At least 3,000 residents were evacuated in and around Anaheim, and more than 5,000 structures were threatened by the flames.
California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties.
With the flames sweeping through communities, some area hospitals have been evacuated. Evacuations were also issued for surrounding counties that are under threat, according to the Napa Valley Sheriff's Office.
Many residents have been warned not to return to their homes until further notice.
Source-ABC
Jennifer Lopez, Maroon 5, Demi Lovato, Chris Martin, Gwen Stefani & more set for disaster relief telethon this Saturday
A massive collection of stars will participate in a new telethon for disaster relief, airing this Saturday on Telemundo, Univision and, in part, NBC.
The telethon, called One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert for Disaster Relief, will air live from Miami's Marlins Park stadium and from an NBC soundstage in L.A. The latter portion will be will be hosted by Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. JLo will also perform from L.A., as will Maroon 5, Demi Lovato, Ricky Martin, Gwen Stefani, Stevie Wonder, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Mary J. Blige, Julia Michaels and more.
In Miami, there will be performances by Marc Anthony, DJ Khaled, MAGIC!, Daddy Yankee, and a slew of top Latin stars.
Other stars who'll be appearing during the telethon include Christina Aguilera, Babyface, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Vanessa Hudgens, Seth Green, Howie Dorough of Backstreet Boys, Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashaian, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Ryan Seacrest, Jimmy Smits, Zoe Saldana, Heidi Klum, Vin Diesel, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara and many more.
Tickets to the Miami portion of the event are on sale now at Marlins.com/somos.
The One Voice telethon will air on Telemundo and Univision starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Saturday, and the third hour will be broadcast on NBC starting at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Other stations will be announced soon.
The money raised will benefit Feeding Amercia, Save the Children, Habitat for Humanity, Unidos for Puerto Rico, United Way and UNICEF, all to help the victims of hurricanes and earthquakes in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean.